Java-based ZK framework gets 6.0.0 release

Potix has announced the release of version 6.0.0 of its open souce web application framework ZK, with a host of new features

Potix announced the release of version 6.0.0 of its open souce
web application framework ZK yesterday, including a host of new
features. The company claims that around 100,000 lines of code have
been modified since version 5.0.0, adding jQuery- and CSS-style
server-side selectors and a new data binding system supporting MVVM
design patterns.

First released in 2006, ZK is aimed at enterprise user seeking a
combination of security and ease-of-use, and it boasts an
impressive client list — current customers include Barclays, the
UN and China’s national electricity grid. The framework is based on
Java, providing current back-end developers and less experienced
users with a front-end experience that Potix terms “Ajax without
JavaScript”.

The architectural changes in the latest version are designed to
speed up and clarify the development process, reinforcing the
separation between business logic and presentation while still
offering a flexible ‘fusion’ of server-side and client-side
functions. ZK currently supports Scala, Groovy, Ruby, Python,
BeanShell and (naturally) JavaScript for scripting actions on the
server side, with user interfaces constructed using a customised
mark-up language named ZUML.

“Since its first launch in November 2005, ZK has amassed over 1.5
million downloads, and is deployed in over 100 Fortune 500
companies, supporting tens of thousands of developers, in more than
190 countries across the world,” reads a company statement.
Impressive figures. Read ZK 6.0.0’s full release notes here or
check out the source code on
GitHub.